Multiple-unit plate rack



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May 20, 1930. F E; w. JANKE ET L MULTIPLE unr'r PLATE RACK Filed Se t.14, 1929 a i 7 4 a May 20, 1930.

E. W. JANKE ET AL MULTIPLE UNIT PLATE RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept.14, 1929 i 33, aum

e ,which our inventionmay'bereduced to pracitlce are illustrated pin,the accompanymg I Patentecl'Ma y, 20, 1930 UNITED Tar-s PATENT mmELIZABETH w. J'ANKE' ANDnLEnEnK'JAnKE, or PLAINFIELD, NEW J R EY SAID.ALFRED H. JANKE .ASSIGNOB TO SAID ELIZABETH W4JAnKE MULT1rI E-'Un1rPLATE nAoK Abplicat'ion filed September 14, 1929. Serial No. 392,504.

, @ur invention relates to holders for individual plates carryingfoodready for serving, the holders being; shaped so that they can bereadily superposed upon each other in considerab'le number, "therebyconserving space on-the shelfor'support upon which the rack-rests. "Ournovel plate rack'is of particular advantage for storing foods assembledon plates ready forserving, such as salads or desserts, in refrigeratorswhich have a limitedamount of shelf space and in which usuallythevertical space between two shelves 'cannotbe sufficiently utilized,because plates containing ready prepared food cannot Very the rack, thesizeof the rack can thus be adapted to the vertical space between thereg frigerator shelves. Thezra ckzcan also be'divided'. into several,racksioi' suitable height, thus utilizingthe refrigeratorspa'ce to thefullest extent.. I 1' Several modifications of ,the manner in drawingsin which Fig. .1 represents in unit made of wire, I I e v Fig. '2represents the triangular wire elepe rspective View a rack I gment whichholds the central wirespiderin Fig. 1, togetherat its arm ends,

- Fig. 3 s'hows'in central vertical section on theline 3,3 in Fig. '1t'he'detjails of the constru'ction of the remand socket ateach arm end,and shows how the foot of the superposed nnit engages a socketof theunit below,

, Fig. 4L represents an individual wirelength having one of itsends bentinto a foot, and theotherjend bent into a socket, three of such lengthsforming the three-armed spider shown in Fig. 1, e

' Fig. 5 represents amodified form of a unit showing 'how suchia unitcan bemade of a plurality of lengths of fiat; material,

u-Fig. 6 represents'a sideelevation of one cornerof twosuperposed units,some of the parts being brokeniaway, and

well ordinarily be placed on top'of each other.

Fig. 7 shows one-of the corners ofthe unit 1n Flg'. 5 in horizontalsection on the line 7, 7 in Fig. 5. e e V Referring more particularlynow to Figs;

1 to gthe triangular-spider-1-is composedof threewires 2, each bent inthe form shown in Fig. 4,-on'e end ofeach-wire being bent at rightangles and twisted .to form afoot 3,

andthe other end being bent at right angles I to form a socket 4. Threeof suchbla-nksare in the'opposite direction and being coiledto assembledat their centralportions a, so that the two straight portions of eachblank are paired with the correspondingstrai ht portion's ofthe adjacentblanks in such manner that the foot 3 atjtheend of one blank is joinedwith the socket 4 ofthe adjacent blank,

whereupon the two wires thus paired are twisted together to form thearms of the spider. In order t'o-retain the arms in theirangularrelation to each other, they are connected by a triangularwireelement '5 shown in detail in Fig. 2, preferably in such manner thatthe corners of the wire element 5 are crimped around the. arm ends,therebyclamp-T ing together the-twowires which form the foot and thesocket at the armkend. In order to raise the supporting point of thefoot within the socket of the adj acentunit for reasons of framerigidity to be explained later, and also to maintain the spacing between two ad acent units, indicated 1n Fig.

3 by thearrow b, the end of the, wire which forms the foot 3 is extendedpartway into its pertaining socket, where the wire end is :bent.

over as shown at 7 the foot 3 ofthesuperposed unit resting upon thisbent portion 7. V

. At the same time the extension of this, hook shaped foot wire into thesoclret 4'affords fa- -;oilities for more securely joining the foot toits pertaining socket, such as by soldering the crimped corner of thewire 5 together with the wires of the foot 3, and thewire. forming thesocket coil ,4 at the arm end, whereby the solder can be easily made toflow partway into thesocket as shown in Fig- 3 in-stippled form; Fig. 1shows in dot-dash in full lines. Inasmuch as the frame iscomposedofrather thm wire elements, and sums lines afunit superposed-uponthe unitshown v ier'weak support fora plate. .WVhen several extendssubstantially only :in one plane, such aunit alone by itself would forma rathunits are assembled however, theirinterengaging feet andsocketscounteract the downward bendlng'of the frame under the loadlnsuch. manner, thatthe Iwire elementsfof the ".stantially only to tensionstresses and are pre-,

Z vented fromsagging under the load. These horizontal frame portionbecome subject subfavorable stress 'conditionsl e xi'st because when theframe arms of aseparate un t sag under the load, its feet swing outwardandits 0ppositely directedsocketsinward; VVhenseveralunits areinterengaged with their feet and sockets, thefoot of one unit swingsoppo- *site to; the direction inwhich the socket of the upper portionofthe socket of the adjacent unit;(as shown'i-n Fig. 3); than inthebottom.

. ofthesocket. j V

- y .Referring'to'Figsj to7,ithesefigures show thefother unit swings inwhichfthat foot is seated, and thuslthe two forces neutralizeleach-other, and ineifect the horiz'ontalframe elements virtuallybecomebars 'fixed' atboth ends. For this reason itis of 'advantage to have thefoot end of. one unit seated'frather. in

how such a. skeletonized"unit inay .be made V of flat lengths ofmaterial such as sheet stock.

For convenience,jwe have aga'inshown a tri angular skeletonlzed'frame,though any other;

2' form may be used As will-be noted from Fig. 5-, the'three arms ofthespider are corn- V posed of straight lengthslOfofthin strips of providedwith longitudinal ribs-115 The materiallwhich for purposes of rigidityare three strips are joined together, for instance when the channel-ofthe foot )is formed and the armbent at right angles. This crimpingimparts rigidity to the 'cornerf so that :the';

foot .will remain substantially at right angles to the horizontalportion of each arm.

by a rivet 12, attheirinner ends,'-'their outer ends being bent downwardto form the feet on'itscentrallOngitudinaI axis to forma 'ichannelelement by-Which rigidity isimp arted to; the foot. the pointwhere v arm1O bent to form'the foot, andwhi-ch *isindicated in}, Fig. Gby-a, thematerial is eriinped so as to ac 13" of the unit, each' 'foiot beingbesides bent coinmodate the surplus" material accruing Thejouter ends ofthe three arms 1 ar tied together by tie stripsl l which for purposes ofrigidity may also be provided with "longitudinal ribs 15, the tie stripsand the arms being joined. by any suitable means, 7 Y for instance byrivets 1 6. The ends, of. each tie strip 14 are bent upward so thatwhen-the r ends ofthe tie strips'are joined together as shown in Fig.they form a channel 17, the

tie pieces being slightly longer'than the distance betweentwo feet'la sothat the, chan-;

nel element can serve as a socket for the channeled foot 13 ofthesuperposed units In or;

,der :to provide stops for the; superposed feet,

each socket 17 beprovided with a plate 5 i 1,8 which may at the sametime serve the purposef'of tieing together the'constit uen t por 'tionsofthe socket 17.; Also-in this case a l considerable rigidity. isimparted to the structureiiby the" relative arrangement of the I,sockets'and'feet, in so faras also in this modification, when'the loadon the unit tends to 1 defiectthecenter down'warch andthus deflects itsfeet "outward, the funit below through 1 its 7 socket 'portionswillcounteractthis outward bending of 'the'feet, because the load-onthelower unit will tend to bendthe socket por,-'

tions-of that unit inwardly. ,The sockets; i

and; feet, being short and rigid by virtue of their structure, ascompared with the free J -lengthsof material, used in the frame, thesebending stresses are easi'ly absorbed by the feet and sockets' withoutdeformation. OW ing to the existence of substantially only ten- 'sionstresses in the frame, also comparatively soft materials, such asaluminum may-be used 1 in manufacturing the units. We clann: .i

frame, composed of a: plurality of lengthsof wire, twisted togetherinpairs and shaped at eaclrpolygon'corner, so that one wire forms.

7 1". A verticalmultipl unit plate rack built I up of'a plurality ofsuperposed independent p I v units, each unit adapted tofsupport aplat'ejand constituting a skeletonized polygonal a foot and the'other wirelasocket,for-supq j portingly engaging respectively thesoc'ket i and footatthe corresponding corners of the relation to each other.

. 2. A'vertical multiple adjacent units to hold 'the units' inTspajc-edj 'i I H unitplate'rack a g -up of a plurality of superposedindependent;

units, each unit adaptedtojsup'port a lplate f and constituting a threearmed spiderfoomposedofa plurality 'of-wires twisted in pairs 1 to form'the spider arms,lone wire at eacli' farm endfheing bent to form. a footand'th'e other wire being} shapedto 'form& a socket for supportinglyengaging respectively the 1 socket andfoot attire-corresponding armother wire being coiled: to form Ia sockt fo supportingly engagingrespectiyely the socket and foot at the correspond1ng-"armends of theadjacent units to hold the units in spaced relation to each'other, an'datriangular wire element ]o1ned;to and connecting the.

arm ends of'said' spider.

4.: A vertical multipleunit plate radii built upof a plural ty ofsuperposed independent units, each'un t adapted to supportza plate andconstituting a three armed spider composed of three lengths of irejoined near their middle portionsand having their free lengths twistedtogether in pairs to form the spider arms, the two Wires of each pairbeing shaped at their ends to form a foot and a socket for supportinglyengaging respectively the socket and the foot at the correspond-, ingarms of the adjacent units, and a triangular Wire element tying the armends of the spider together and being clamped at its corners around thepertaining arm end between the foot and the socket.

5. A vertical multiple unit plate rack built up of a plurality ofsuperposed independent units, each unit adapted to support a plate andconstituting a skeletonized frame extending substantially in one planeonly and having at least three points of support at its periphery, andhaving feet and sockets at said supporting points, extending in oppositedirections at right angles to said plane, and being adapted torespectively engage the sockets and feet of the adjacent units tomaintain the frames in spaced relation to each other, and whereby saidunits mutually reenforce each others carrying surfaces under 7 load.

6. Avertical multiple unit plate rack built up of'a plurality ofsuperposed independent units, each unit adapted to support a plate andconstituting a skeletonized frame, ex-

tending substantially in one plane only and having at least threepoints'of support at its perlphery, and having feet and sockets at saidsupporting points, extending in opposite directions at right angles tosaid plane, and being adapted to respectively engage the sockets andfeet of the'adjacentunits to maintain the frames in spaced relation toeach other, the stresses upon each frame due to the load beingcounteracted by the interengagement of the feet and sockets of theassembled units, so that the frame elements are subject substantiallyonly to tensionstresses.

7. A vertical multiple unit plate rack built up of a plurality ofsuperposed independent a 8.- A vertical multiple unit plate rack builtup of a plurality of superposed independent units, each unit adapted tosupport a plate and constituting a skeletonized frame, composed of aplurality of lengths of material joined together and extendingsubstantially in one plane only, said frame having at least three pointsof support at its periphery at some of the junction points ofsaidlengths, and having feet and sockets at said supporting points formed bysaid lengths and exof the assembled units, so that the frame elementsare subject substantially only to'tension stresses.

ELIZABETH W. J ANKE. ALFRED H. JANKE.

opposite directions at right angles to said plane, and being adapted torespectively engage the sockets and feet of the adjacent units tomaintain the frames in spaced relation to each other, the stresses uponeach frame due to the load being counteracted by the interengagement ofthe feet and sockets of the assembled units, so that the frame elementsare subject substantially only to tension stresses.

